KFI

07/31/2026

Dan will be missed by many. Please join us in Lincoln next Friday to share stories and remember all the joy he brought to our lives.

View Daniel Jordan's obituary, contribute to their memorial, see their funeral service details, and more.

06/27/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/18oGAw4jDS/?mibextid=wwXIfr

July is Disability Pride Month. Here is an explanation of why we celebrate.
🖤❤️💛🤍🩵💚

Image description: a colorful educational infographic asks, “Why Do We Celebrate Disability Pride?” The title appears in large, bold, dark gray letters at the top of a white rounded rectangle centered on a dark gray background. Behind the white panel are diagonal stripes in the colors of the Disability Pride flag: green, light blue, white, yellow, and muted red.

Four rounded colored boxes list the reasons:

Green box: “In commemoration of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, 1990.”

Light blue box: “To honor the experiences, achievements, and history of the disabled community.”

Yellow box: “To achieve solidarity through community visibility and shared social identity.”

Muted red box: “To challenge ableist stereotypes, reframing disability as part of human diversity rather than tragedy.”

In the bottom-left corner of the graphic, outside the white panel, is the creator’s handle, , in bold white text.

06/14/2026

This week, Mike Carroll, KFI's Employment Coordinator and Jodi Benvie, Director of Training and Team Development attended the national APSE conference in Dallas.
APSE is an organization dedicated solely to increasing employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Mike and Jodi spent 4 days learning from the best in the field and left feeling inspired to put new ideas into practice.
And they had a little bit of fun, too!

05/23/2026

We're not the boss. When we are supporting someone, we're on their time.

A good day is not the same as a compliant day. Too often, people with intellectual disabilities are praised for being “good” simply because they followed directions and caused no problems. Compliance may make support easier, but it does not tell us whether the person felt happy, respected, or heard. Doing everything you are told is not the same as living a meaningful life.
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ID: Title reads: Remember: For people with intellectual disabilities compliance is not the same as a good day. Image shows a professional-looking person talking to a support staff person. The speech bubble reads: “He had a really good day today.”
Person with an intellectual disability with a thought bubble: “I did everything you told me to.”

05/23/2026

Registration is open for our fall conference. To register or find out more information go [https://www.sufumaine.org/sufuconference

05/22/2026

The MACSP conference was a great opportunity for learning, networking and having fun!

04/29/2026

Speaking Up For Us annual conference

Registration is open for our fall conference. To register or find out more information go to: [https://www.sufumaine.org/sufu-conference/

04/29/2026

Last week, three members of the KFI Senior Leadership Team were joined by Bangor admin Cynthia and DSP Taylor Dodd for the National ANCOR conference in Boston. They spent 3 days participating in workshops and listening to leaders in our field, focusing on 'Navigating the Now'. They returned home refreshed, with new ideas to make KFI stronger as a provider of service and as an employer.
They also got to connect with ANCOR CEO Barbara Merrill and thank her for her decades of service to this field.

04/28/2026

We recently had the privilege of celebrating Jade Hayden's graduation from Maine Development Foundation's Institute for Civic Leadership as part of the 2025-2026 Goose Eye class. Jade is a Support Coordinator in our Lincoln office. They committed to days away from the office each month, taking a deep dive into the journey to becoming a stronger leader, including 3 days on Hurricane Island with Outward Bound!
Congratulations Jade!

03/16/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/1A1CSJPpfv/?mibextid=wwXIfr

A support worker is paid. A friend is not. A support worker writes reports, follows policies, and leaves when the shift ends or the job changes. A friend stays because they choose to. When we blur those lines, we risk asking people with intellectual disabilities to pretend that something paid for is the same as something freely given.

Real support should make friendship possible, not replace it. The goal of support is not to become someone’s social world, it is to help them build one. When staff step back from trying to be the friend, space opens to help people to build friendships with neighbours, coworkers, classmates, and community members. The measure of good support is not how close the staff relationship feels. It is whether the person’s life is bigger, richer, and filled with people who are there because they want to be.
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ID: Fionn holds a cardboard sign above his head that reads "I don't want support staff as friends" - a person walking by has stopped to read the sign.